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ĐỀ THI VSTEP READING – TEST 1

PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1 – 10

Doctors treat patients for free at a clinic in Ha Noi

For 20 years, Dang Thi Nhan, 67, has been waking up about 30 minutes earlier each day to bake cakes or prepare tea for two retired doctors in a clinic near her house in Ha Noi’s Giap Bat Ward. That is all Nhan can offer as thanks to doctors who provide free health checks for herself, her paralyzed husband, and their 43-year-old disabled son. “If one day they cannot take care of themselves and need someone to look after them, I will do it voluntarily till the day they are gone,” Nhan said.

The small clinic, situated on Kim Dong Street, has become familiar to many people in Ha Noi. It was established in 1992 by Dr. Truong Thi Hoi To, 84, a former principal of Nam Dinh Medical College, Le Thi Soc, 87, a retired nurse from Saint Paul Municipal Hospital, and Le Thanh Thuoc, the late deputy director of the Viet Nam National Cancer Hospital, who died last year. The clinic used to open every Monday and Thursday. However, after doctor Thuoc died and due to the deteriorating health of the two other medics, the clinic now only opens on Monday mornings at 8 am. Patients not only receive health checks, but they also receive free medicine. (A)

Since 2014, the clinic has treated about 8,500 patients, according to Giap Bat ward’s Red Cross Association. On its first days, the clinic faced numerous difficulties due to lack of money. Mrs. To, founder of the clinic, had to spend her own pension and encourage her children and relatives to donate money to purchase medical equipment and medicine. The clinic also had to relocate seven times, as To and her co-workers could not afford high rents. Despite these difficulties, they never thought of giving up. “Being able to help my patients brings me unspeakable joy. This is also my life target, it warms my heart to see the happy faces of the patients,” To said. (B)

Tran Thi Toan, 64, a patient from Nam Dinh Province, now works as a servant in Ha Noi. She is grateful to Dr. To and Nurse Soc not just for the free treatment, but for their caring manner. Toan said: “They give me meticulous treatment and clear, detailed instruction as well as advise me on a healthy and happy lifestyle”. Toan feels shy about her job, so the doctors’ care and compassionate attitude have become her inspiration in life. (C)

To the doctors, the most precious thing they receive from their patients is confidence in their skills, which can only be achieved through ethics and medical excellence. “The success of a doctor does not lie in how much money they earn, but how many people they help”, Soc said. Sharing Soc’s opinion, To said that “Medical practitioners should not consider their profession as a tool to get rich. They should not benefit from their patients’ pain. Patients come first, not money.” (D)

1. How old was Dang Thi Nhan when she first started to bake cakes or prepare tea for the two doctors?
   A. 20
   B. 67
   C. 43
   D. 47
2. The word “they” in paragraph 1 refers to ______.
   A. Two doctors
   B. Husband and son
   C. Health checks
   D. Cakes
3. The word “late” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
   A. Last-minute
   B. Behind
   C. Delayed
   D. Deceased
4. The word “its” in paragraph 3 refers to ______.
   A. Red Cross Association
   B. The clinic
   C. Medicine
   D. Pension
5. Who probably did not work in a hospital before retirement?
   A. Le Thi Soc
   B. Le Thanh Thuoc
   C. Truong Thi Hoi To
   D. All of them
6. In which line does the author mention the bad health condition of the doctors?
   A. Line 5
   B. Line 13
   C. Line 23
   D. Line 28
7. The word “donate” in paragraph 3 could be best replaced by ______.
   A. Give
   B. Take
   C. Keep
   D. Get
8. What has helped Mrs. Tran Thi Toan gain confidence in her life?
   A. Her job as a servant
   B. Her gratitude to all doctors
   C. Her healthy and happy lifestyle
   D. Doctors’ caring manner and free treatment at the clinic
9. In which space (A, B, C, or D) will the sentence fit best?
   “They treat me as a close member of their family. There is no discrimination between the rich and the poor. Everyone is treated equally.”
   A. A
   B. B
   C. C
   D. D
10. The last paragraph indicates Mrs. Soc’s opinion that a doctor is successful if ______.
    A. He/she earns a lot of money
    B. He/she is confident in his/her skills
    C. He/she helps a lot of patients
    D. He/she benefits from patients’ pain

PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11 -20

The evidence that humans are causing global warming is strong, but the question of what to do about it remains controversial. Economics, sociology, and politics are all important factors in planning for the future.

Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) today, the Earth would still warm by another degree Fahrenheit or so. But what we do from today forward makes a big difference. Depending on our choices, scientists predict that the Earth could eventually warm by as little as 2.5 degrees or as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

A commonly cited goal is to stabilize GHG concentrations around 450-550 parts per million (ppm), or about twice pre-industrial levels. This is the point at which many believe the most damaging impacts of climate change can be avoided. Current concentrations are about 380 ppm, which means there isn’t much time to lose. According to the IPCC, we’d have to reduce GHG emissions by 50% to 80% of what they’re on track to be in the next century to reach this level.

Is this possible?

Many people and governments are already working hard to cut greenhouse gases, and everyone can help.

Researchers Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow at Princeton University have suggested one approach that they call “stabilization wedges.” This means reducing GHG emissions from a variety of sources with technologies available in the next few decades, rather than relying on an enormous change in a single area. They suggest 7 wedges that could each reduce emissions, and all of them together could hold emissions at approximately current levels for the next 50 years, putting us on a potential path to stabilize around 500 ppm.

There are many possible wedges, including improvements to energy efficiency and vehicle fuel economy (so less energy has to be produced), and increases in wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, biofuels (produced from crops), natural gas, and nuclear power. There is also the potential to capture the carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuels and store it underground—a process called “carbon sequestration.”

In addition to reducing the gases we emit to the atmosphere, we can also increase the amount of gases we take out of the atmosphere. Plants and trees absorb CO2 as they grow, “sequestering” carbon naturally. Increasing forestlands and making changes to the way we farm could increase the amount of carbon we’re storing.

Some of these technologies have drawbacks, and different communities will make different decisions about how to power their lives, but the good news is that there are a variety of options to put us on a path toward a stable climate.

11. The word “we” in paragraph 2 refers to _____
    A. humans
    B. economists, sociologists, and politicians
    C. animals
    D. scientists
12. According to paragraph 2, how many degrees could the Earth warm up?
    A. 2.5
    B. 2.5 or 10
    C. 10
    D. from 2.5 to 10
13. According to paragraph 3, why should we stabilize GHG concentrations around 450–550 ppm?
    A. to avoid the most serious effects of climate change
    B. to avoid all damaging impacts of climate change
    C. to mend the most damaging impacts of climate change
    D. to stop climate change
14. What does “which” in paragraph 3 refer to?
    A. current concentrations
    B. that current concentrations are about 380 ppm
    C. 380 ppm
    D. ppm
15. Why does the author mention Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow?
    A. To introduce two researchers in the field
    B. To prove that researchers are working to reduce GHG emissions
    C. To introduce one way to reduce GHG emissions
    D. To introduce Princeton University
16. What stabilization wedges are NOT mentioned in the passage?
    A. create environment-friendly materials
    B. capture and store carbon dioxide underground
    C. increase the use of renewable energy
    D. grow more trees
17. What does “them” refer to?
    A. Researchers
    B. Humans
    C. Renewable resources
    D. Wedges
18. What is the best title for this passage?
    A. Arguments over global warming
    B. Global warming and its causes
    C. Global warming solutions
    D. Global warming’s effects on Earth
19. “Sequestering” is closest in meaning to _____
    A. absorb
    B. isolate
    C. release
    D. emit
20. Why does the writer mention “drawbacks” in the last paragraph?
    A. To introduce the disadvantages of solutions in the following paragraph
    B. To emphasize the disadvantages of the solutions in the previous paragraph
    C. To recommend that readers not use the solutions
    D. To emphasize the advantages of the solutions in different contexts

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21 – 30

Art communicates to us primarily through our eyes. We look at art, and we try to find some meaning in the experience. If we are to begin to think about art more seriously, we might do well to become more aware of the process of seeing itself.

Science tells us that seeing is a mode of perception, or the recognition and interpretation of sensory data-in other words, how information comes in our senses, and what we make of it. In visual perception, our eyes take in information in the form of light patterns; the brain processes these patterns to give them meaning. The mechanics of perception work much the same way for everyone, yet in a given situation we do not all see the same things;-

We can take great pleasure in merely looking at art, just as we take pleasure in the view of a distant mountain range or watching the sun set over the ocean. But art, unlike nature, is a human creation. It is one of the many ways we express ourselves and attempt to communicate. A work of art is the product of human intelligence, and we can meet it with our own intelligence on equal footing. This is where study comes in.

The understanding of process – the how – often contributes quite a lot to our appreciation of art. If you understand why painting in watercolor may be different from painting in oil, why clay responds differently to the artist’s hand than does wood or glass, you will have a richer appreciation of the artist’s expression.

Knowing the place of a work of art in history – what went before and came after – can also deepen your understanding. Artists learn to make art by studying the achievements of the past and observing the efforts of their contemporaries. They adapt ideas to serve their own needs and then bequeath those ideas to future generations of artists. For example, Matisse assumed that his audience would know that Venus was the ancient Roman goddess of love. But he also hoped that they would be familiar with one Venus in particular, a famous Greek statue known as the Venus de Milo.

An artist may create a specific work for any of a thousand reasons. An awareness of the why may give some insight as well. Looking at Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, it might help you know that Van Gogh was intrigued by the belief that people journeyed to a star after their death, and that there they continued their lives. “Just as we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen,” he wrote in a letter, “we take death to reach a star.” This knowledge might help you understand why Van Gogh felt so strongly about the night sky, and what his painting might have meant to him.

But no matter how much you study, Van Gogh’s painting will never mean for you exactly what it meant for him, nor should it. Great works of art hold many meanings. The greatest of them seem to speak anew to each generation and to each attentive observer. The most important thing is that they mean something for you, that your own experiences, thoughts, and emotions find a place in them.

21. According to paragraph 2, the process of visual perception _____
    A. is not the same for all people
    B. begins with patterns of light
    C. is not very scientific
    D. requires other senses to function
22. What did Matisse reinterpret?
    A. A goddess from mythology
    B. A painting by another artist
    C. An ancient sculpture
    D. A great work of art
23. The word “them” in the last paragraph refers to _____
    A. each attentive observer
    B. thoughts and emotions
    C. a lifetime of experiences
    D. great works of art
24. The word “bequeath” is closest in meaning to _____
    A. make out
    B. pass on
    C. look over
    D. take in
25. The author mentions all of the following ways to enhance appreciation of art EXCEPT _____
    A. understanding the artistic process
    B. becoming familiar with history
    C. experiencing the art by copying
    D. knowing about the life of the artist
26. What is the main topic of the passage?
    A. Visual perception of sensory material
    B. Historical context for artistic expression
    C. Studying Van Gogh’s The Starry Night
    D. Appreciation of works of art
27. Which sentence best expresses the highlighted idea?
    A. We see images differently because of the mode of perception
    B. Although we see images differently, the mode of perception is similar
    C. Since the mode of perception is similar, we see images in the same way
    D. When the mode of perception is the same, we see the same images
28. Why might Van Gogh have painted The Starry Night?
    A. To symbolize life after death
    B. To create contrast with the sky
    C. To place a strong foreground image
    D. To include early life experiences
29. “Intrigued” is closest in meaning to _____
    A. very pleased
    B. very confused
    C. very interested
    D. very surprised
30. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
    A. Great artworks are impossible to understand
    B. The author has negative views on modern art
    C. People need knowledge to understand art
    D. Interpretation depends on personal experience

PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31 – 40

Antibiotics block the life cycle of bacteria that invade the human body. The first of these antibiotics, penicillin, works by blocking the molecules that construct the cell walls of particular bacteria. The bacteria, with incomplete cell walls, are not able to reproduce.

When penicillin was introduced during World War II, it was truly a “miracle drug.” Until that time, anyone who was cut or wounded stood a great risk of infection. Once penicillin became available, the situation changed. Wounded soldiers, children with ear infections, and many others began to benefit from the ability to block the growth of bacteria.

While humanity may have won that particular battle against bacteria, the war is far from over. The reason is that in any bacterial population, there are bound to be a few bacteria that, for one reason or another, are not affected by a particular antibiotic. For example, they may have a slightly differently shaped enzyme that builds cell walls, so that penicillin will not fit onto that particular shape of the enzyme. These bacteria will not be affected by that particular drug.

For that small group, the antibiotic is a real godsend. It doesn’t affect them, but it does wipe out all of their competition. They are thus free to multiply, and, over time, all of the bacteria will have whatever properties made those individuals resistant.

Traditionally, medical scientists have dealt with this phenomenon by developing a large number of antibiotics, each of which intervenes in the bacterial life cycle in a slightly different way. Consequently, if you happen to have a bacterium that is resistant to one antibiotic, it will probably succumb to the action of another. You may, in fact, have had the experience of going to a doctor with an infection, being given an antibiotic, and then finding that it didn’t work. In all likelihood, all your doctor had to do then was prescribe a different antibiotic, and everything was fine.

The problem is that as time has passed, more and more bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. In fact, currently, there is one strain of bacteria- Staphylococcus-that is resistant to every commercially available antibiotic except one, and in 1996, a bacterium with lowered resistance to that last antibiotic appeared in Japan.

The appearance of drug-resistant bacteria is not particularly surprising; in fact, it probably should have been anticipated. Nevertheless, in the late 1980s, there was a general sense of complacency among scientists on the antibiotic question. Little profit was to be made by developing the one- hundred-and-first antibiotic. Drug companies concentrated their efforts on other areas. Therefore, a gap developed between the production of new antibiotics and the development of resistance among bacteria.

By the early 1990s, this gap was recognized and highlighted in several national news magazines. More companies returned to develop new kinds of antibiotics, and currently, a number are undergoing clinical trials. By early in the twenty-first century, some of these new drugs will start to come on the market, and the problem will be “solved,” at least for the moment.

Additional research will focus on the processes by which cells repair the constant damage to DNA, but the computer design of new drugs, the development of new antibiotics, and techniques to combat bacteria should remain a top priority.

31. How do antibiotics treat infections?
    A. They interfere with the reproductive cycle of bacteria
    B. They construct cell walls to resist bacteria
    C. They inject enzymes into cells
    D. They increase the mitosis of healthy cells
32. The word “them” in paragraph 4 refers to _____
    A. properties
    B. resistant bacteria
    C. their competition
    D. those individuals
33. “Anticipated” is closest in meaning to _____
    A. predicted
    B. concealed
    C. investigated
    D. disregarded
34. What is the main idea of the passage?
    A. Penicillin as a miracle drug
    B. Drug-resistant bacteria
    C. Staphylococcus infections
    D. Gene therapy
35. Why do some bacteria benefit from antibiotics?
    A. Antibiotics kill competing bacteria
    B. They become stronger after exposure
    C. They reproduce with resistant types
    D. They absorb antibiotic properties
36. “Complacency” is closest in meaning to _____
    A. agreement
    B. fear
    C. lack of concern
    D. awareness
37. Which sentence best expresses the idea?
    A. Some antibiotics work better
    B. Some bacteria resist antibiotics
    C. Antibiotics bind bacteria
    D. Some bacteria are naturally resistant
38. Which is NOT a reason for drug resistance?
    A. Lack of profit incentive
    B. Natural variation
    C. Weaker antibiotics
    D. Competition elimination
39. It can be inferred that _____
    A. New antibiotics won’t be needed
    B. Scientists expected resistance
    C. Antibiotics are cheap
    D. New drugs take time to develop
40. Which is NOT a main idea?
    A. Resistance is increasing
    B. Funding has been allocated
    C. Early antibiotics were effective
    D. New drugs are being developed

ĐỀ THI VSTEP READING – TEST 2

PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1 – 10

A new study, conducted by scientists from Oxford University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control, has warned that a third of all men currently under the age of 20 in China will eventually die prematurely if they do not give up smoking.

The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, says two-thirds of men in China now start to smoke before 20. Around half of those men will die from the habit, it concludes.

In 2010, around one million people in China died from tobacco usage. But researchers say that if current trends continue, that will double to two million people – mostly men – dying every year by 2030, making it a “growing epidemic of premature death”.

But co-author Richard Peto said there was hope- if people can be persuaded to quit. “The key to avoiding this huge wave of deaths is cessation, and if you are a young man, don’t start,” he said.

In many parts of China, meals often fit a comfortable pattern. After putting down their chopsticks, men commonly push their chairs back from the table and light cigarettes. No wonder China has struggled to impose a smoking ban in public places. Here, relationships are often built amid clouds of smoke.

Expensive cigarette brands, often decorated with gold detailing on their cartons, are given as gifts. And ordinary brands are affordable to all but the very poor, costing just 2.5 yuan ($0.4; £0.25) a pack.

In a country where smoking is so ingrained in daily life, few understand the harmful effects of tobacco use. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 25% of Chinese adults can list the specific health hazards of smoking, from lung cancer to heart disease.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that only 10% of Chinese smokers quit by choice. Instead, most are forced to give up their cigarettes because they’re too sick to continue.

While smoking rates have fallen in developed countries to less than one in five in the US, they have risen in China, as cigarettes have become more available and consumers have become richer.

Authorities have shown concern over the rise, with Beijing even introducing a public smoking ban. But the habit’s popularity has hampered efforts, and its usefulness as a source of tax – the government collects about 428 billion yuan (£44 billion, $67 billion) in tobacco taxes each year.

Globally, tobacco kills up to half of its users, according to the World Health Organization.

1. How many Chinese men start to smoke before the age of 20?
   A. one-third
   B. two-thirds
   C. half
   D. all of them
2. What does the word “those men” in paragraph 2 refer to?
   A. Men who smoke under the age of 20
   B. Men who smoke above the age of 20
   C. Men who give up smoking
   D. Men who smoke in public
3. By 2030, how many men in China may die from smoking every year?
   A. one million
   B. two million
   C. three million
   D. four million
4. In many areas of China, when do men usually smoke?
   A. Before a meal
   B. After a meal
   C. Before they go to sleep
   D. When they get up
5. According to WHO, only _____ Chinese adults can list bad effects of smoking.
   A. one-third
   B. one-fourth
   C. one-fifth
   D. a half
6. “Beijing” refers to _____
   A. China
   B. The city of Beijing
   C. The Chinese government
   D. People who live in Beijing
7. What is Richard Peto’s attitude toward smoking in China?
   A. He doesn’t believe that people will give up smoking
   B. He is disappointed with the Chinese government
   C. He thinks that people possibly stop smoking if they see reasons
   D. He is sure about the rise of future deaths in China
8. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to “hamper”?
   A. basket
   B. assist
   C. prohibit
   D. restrict
9. What is the writer’s purpose?
   A. To argue over the smoking policy in China
   B. To support smoking in China
   C. To warn and prevent smoking in China
   D. To report the results of a research paper
10. What does the writer imply about the Chinese government?
    A. They do not want to stop people from smoking
    B. They have tried to stop people from smoking in public but with little success
    C. They have tried to close tobacco companies
    D. They do not care about smoking

PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20

To Get a Job in Your 50s, Maintain Friendships in Your 40s

We hear it all the time: People who are over 50 take longer to find jobs than younger people. Connie Wanberg, a professor at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, had long heard gloom-and-doom stories to that effect, but she wondered how strong the data was to support them.

Very, as it turned out. According to a study by Professor Wanberg and others, job seekers over 50 were unemployed 5.8 weeks longer than those aged 30 to 49. That number rose to 10.6 weeks when the comparison group was from 20 to 29. Professor Wanberg and three other researchers — Darla J. Hamann, Ruth Kanfer, and Zhen Zhang — arrived at those numbers by analyzing and synthesizing hundreds of studies by economists, sociologists, and psychologists.

But it is important not to jump to conclusions about the cause, Professor Wanberg said. “It’s not very unusual for everybody to think that the reason for the difficulty in finding jobs in their 50s is discrimination,” she said. That can sometimes be the case, but the reality is that the behavior required to find work does not play to many older people’s strengths. Once they become aware of this, they can act to compensate.

In their study, the researchers found that older people, on average, had smaller social networks than younger people, Professor Wanberg said. This is not necessarily bad —as we age, many of us find that the quality of our relationships is more important than the quantity. But in the job search process, the number of connections we maintain in our professional and personal networks is often critical.

As people age, they also tend to stay in the same job longer, consistent with a pattern of wanting to put down roots. During that time, the skills people have learned and the job search strategies they once used may become outdated — especially as technology evolves ever more quickly.

The cure for these drawbacks is fairly straightforward. Once you hit your early 40s, even if you are not looking for a job, work to learn new skills and stretch yourself, Professor Wanberg said. Also, keep your networks strong by staying in touch with former colleagues and classmates, along with current co-workers and clients whom you don’t see regularly, she said.

Finding a job after 50 doesn’t have to be as discouraging as it is often portrayed to be, Professor Wanberg said. Just recognize that some of the obstacles you face are inherent to the aging process, she said. She stressed that her findings reflected only averages and that individual behavior varies greatly. Certainly, many older people maintain wide social circles and often learn skills. But in general, older job seekers must take more steps to find 35 employment than younger ones, she said.

Once older workers do find a new employer, they can use their knowledge, wisdom, and emotional intelligence — qualities that older people often possess in abundance — to thrive in their new positions.

11. The word “gloom-and-doom” in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by ______.
    A. Hopeless
    B. Interesting
    C. Cheerful
    D. Strange
12. According to the study, which age group has the least unemployment time?
    A. Less than 20
    B. From 20 to 29
    C. From 30 to 49
    D. Over 50
13. Which sentence best paraphrases the given statement in paragraph 3?
    A. People do not usually think about the cause of discrimination in their 50s.
    B. People do not usually think discrimination is the reason.
    C. People believe finding jobs causes discrimination.
    D. People believe discrimination makes job search harder in their 50s.
14. The word “their” in paragraph 4 refers to ______.
    A. The researchers
    B. Older people
    C. Social networks
    D. Younger people
15. The word “critical” in paragraph 4 could be best replaced by ______.
    A. Huge
    B. Demanding
    C. Trivial
    D. Important
16. What advice does Professor Wanberg give?
    A. Maintain small but strong networks
    B. Be aware of strengths
    C. Learn new skills and keep wide networks
    D. Stay in the same job longer
17. “These drawbacks” refers to ______.
    A. Outdated skills and strategies
    B. Small networks
    C. Lost connections
    D. Low-quality relationships
18. Which statement is NOT true?
    A. Finding a job after 50 is not hopeless
    B. Older people hardly learn new skills
    C. Older people have good qualities
    D. Findings are not true for all
19. Professor Wanberg’s attitude is ______.
    A. Hopeless
    B. Frustrated
    C. Optimistic
    D. Discouraging
20. The purpose of the passage is ______.
    A. Report difficulties
    B. Compare advantages/disadvantages
    C. Warn about job skipping
    D. Stress the importance of skills and networks

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30

MARY’S FIRST JOB

When I was just fifteen, my father purchased an old hostel in the country where we lived and decided to turn it into a luxury hotel. In the early stages of the hotel, he experimented with everything. None of us had ever worked in a hotel before, but my dad had a vision of what guests wanted. His standards were extremely high, and he believed that 5 to reach those standards, the most important thing was work.

For a month that summer, I worked as a waitress at breakfast and dinner. As part of the crew, I had to lay the tables in the dining room beforehand and clean up afterwards. This gave me the middle of the day free for studying; my school report predictably had not lived up to my father’s high expectations.

Like all the other waitresses, I was equipped with a neat uniform and told to treat the guests as though they were special visitors in my own home. Although I felt more like a stranger in theirs, I did not express my feelings. Instead, I concentrated on doing the job as well as, if not better than, the older girls.

In the kitchen, I learned how to deal with Gordon, the chef, who I found rather daunting. He had an impressive chef’s hat and a terrifying ability to lose his temper and get violent for no clear reason. I avoided close contact with him and always grabbed the dishes he gave me with a cold look on my face. Then, as I walked from the kitchen to the dining room, my cold expression used to change into a charming smile.

I found waiting at breakfast was more enjoyable than at dinner. The guests came wandering into the dining room from seven-thirty onwards, staring with pleasure at the view of the sea and the islands through the dining room window. I always made sure that everyone got their order quickly, and I enjoyed getting on well with the people at each table.

In the evenings, it was funny how differently people behaved; they talked with louder, less friendly voices, and did not always return my smile. However, that all changed when Dad created a special role for me, which improved my status considerably.

I started by making simple cakes for guests’ picnics and soon progressed to more elaborate cakes for afternoon teas. I found that recipes were easy to follow and it was amusing to improvise. This led to a nightly event known as Mary’s Sweet Trolley. I used to enter the dining room every evening, pushing a trolley carrying an extraordinary collection of puddings, cakes, and other desserts. Most of them were of my own invention; I had cooked them all myself, and some were undeniably strange.

21. The word “it” refers to ______.
    A. An old hostel
    B. The country
    C. A luxury hotel
    D. Mary’s first job
22. What did workers have in common?
    A. Knew guest expectations
    B. Shared all jobs
    C. Lacked experience
    D. Enjoyed work
23. Mary’s schedule gave her ______.
    A. Time for schoolwork
    B. Experience
    C. Relaxation
    D. Time with father
24. Best paraphrase:
    A. School reported expectations
    B. Father was not satisfied
    C. Report predictable
    D. Father expected report
25. “Daunting” means ______.
    A. Disgusting
    B. Frightening
    C. Interesting
    D. Strange
26. While walking, Mary ______.
    A. Smiled at Gordon
    B. Avoided touching him
    C. Checked food
    D. Looked friendlier
27. Why prefer breakfast?
    A. View
    B. Better guest relations
    C. Guests punctual
    D. Worked better
28. Father improved her position by ______.
    A. Making her manager
    B. Giving entertainment role
    C. Giving cooking responsibility
    D. New uniform
29. Food on trolley was special because ______.
    A. Traditional recipes
    B. Same picnic food
    C. With Gordon
    D. Mostly self-invented
30. Overall impression of job:
    A. Closer to father
    B. Sometimes uncomfortable
    C. Always enjoyable
    D. Easy

PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31-40

Line Potash (the old name for potassium carbonate) is one of the two alkalis (the other being soda, sodium carbonate) that were used from remote antiquity in the making of glass, and from the early Middle Ages in the making of soap: the former being the product of heating a mixture of alkali and sand, the latter a product of alkali and vegetable oil. Their importance in the communities of colonial North America need hardly be stressed.

Potash and soda are not interchangeable for all purposes, but for glass-or soap-making, either would do. Soda was obtained largely from the ashes of certain Mediterranean sea plants, and potash from those of inland vegetation. Hence, potash was more familiar to the early European settlers of the North American continent. The settlement at Jamestown in Virginia was in many ways a microcosm of the economy of colonial North America, and potash was one of its first concerns. It was required for the glassworks, the first factory in the British colonies, and was produced in sufficient quantity to permit the inclusion of potash in the first cargo shipped out of Jamestown. The second ship to arrive in the settlement from England included among its passengers experts in potash making. The method of making potash was simple enough. Logs were piled up and burned in the open, and the ashes collected. The ashes were placed in a barrel with holes in the bottom, and water was poured over them. The solution draining from the barrel was boiled down in iron kettles. The resulting mass was further heated to fuse the mass into what was called potash.

In North America, potash making quickly became an adjunct to the clearing of land for agriculture, for it was estimated that as much as half the cost of clearing land could be recovered by the sale of potash. Some potash was exported from Maine and New Hampshire in the seventeenth century, but the market turned out to be mainly domestic, consisting mostly of shipments from the northern to the southern colonies. Despite the beginning of the trade at Jamestown and such encouragements as a series of acts to encourage the making of potash, beginning in 1707 in South Carolina, the softwoods in the South proved to be poor sources of the substance.

31. The passage mainly discusses ______.
    A. How potash was made
    B. Export value
    C. Differences
    D. Importance in colonial America
32. All are true EXCEPT ______.
    A. Alkalis
    B. From sea plants
    C. Used in soap
    D. Used in glass
33. “The latter” refers to ______.
    A. Alkali
    B. Glass
    C. Sand
    D. Soap
34. “Stressed” means ______.
    A. Defined
    B. Emphasized
    C. Adjusted
    D. Mentioned
35. “Interchangeable” means ______.
    A. Convenient
    B. Identifiable
    C. Equivalent
    D. Advantageous
36. Potash more common because ______.
    A. Materials for soda scarce
    B. Faster to make
    C. Better quality
    D. Easier to use
37. NOT needed to make potash:
    A. Wood
    B. Fire
    C. Sand
    D. Water
38. “Adjunct” means ______.
    A. Addition
    B. Answer
    C. Problem
    D. Possibility
39. Benefit of potash:
    A. Export
    B. Finance farming
    C. Many materials
    D. New glass methods
40. Problem with softwoods:
    A. Not plentiful
    B. Not for houses
    C. Not marketable
    D. Not useful for potash

>> Xem thêm:

• 8 Mẹo thi Reading VSTEP giúp thí sinh đạt điểm cao
• Tổng hợp đề mẫu Speaking VSTEP mới nhất

Đáp án đề thi VSTEP Reading

Test 1

PASSAGE 1

| 1. D | 2. A | 3. D | 4. B | 5. C | 6. B | 7. A | 8. D | 9. C | 10. C |

PASSAGE 2

| 11. A | 12. D | 13. A | 14. B | 15. C | 16. A | 17. D | 18. C | 19. A | 20. B |

PASSAGE 3

| 21. B | 22. A | 23. D | 24. B | 25. C | 26. D | 27. B | 28. A | 29. C | 30. D |

PASSAGE 4

| 31. A | 32. B | 33. A | 34. B | 35. A | 36. C | 37. D | 38. C | 39. D | 40. B |

Test 2

PASSAGE 1

| 1. B | 2. A | 3. B | 4. B | 5. B | 6. C | 7. C | 8. D | 9. D | 10. B |

PASSAGE 2

| 11. A | 12. C | 13. D | 14. B | 15. D | 16. C | 17. A | 18. B | 19. C | 20. D |

PASSAGE 3

| 21. A | 22. C | 23. A | 24. B | 25. B | 26. D | 27. B | 28. C | 29. D | 30. B |

PASSAGE 4

| 31. D | 32. B | 33. D | 34. B | 35. C | 36. A | 37. C | 38. A | 39. B | 40. D |

Qua các dạng bài trong Reading VSTEP ở trên, có thể thấy việc hiểu đúng dạng câu hỏi và áp dụng chiến lược làm bài phù hợp là yếu tố quyết định điểm số. Tuy nhiên, nhiều bạn dù đã học lý thuyết vẫn gặp khó khăn khi áp dụng vào đề thực tế, đặc biệt là khi làm sai nhưng không biết mình sai ở đâu.

Nếu bạn cũng đang gặp tình trạng này, việc tự học một mình đôi khi sẽ khiến bạn mất rất nhiều thời gian mà vẫn không cải thiện rõ rệt. Thay vào đó, bạn có thể tham khảo khóa luyện VSTEP online để được luyện tập với hệ thống đề sát thi thật, được chữa chi tiết từng câu và hiểu rõ cách xử lý từng dạng bài. Để lại thông tin để được tư vấn miễn phí về lộ trình học cá nhân hóa, bạn nhé!

>> Tham khảo thêm một số khóa ôn luyện VSTEP online nổi bật của chúng tôi:

• Khóa luyện mất gốc Online – Luyện thi Vstep
• Khóa luyện thi A1 – B1 Online có giáo viên dạy kèm
• Khóa luyện A1 – B2 online
• Khóa luyện đề B2 online

Tổng kết

Có thể thấy, việc thực hành với các đề thi Vstep Reading có đáp án chi tiết sẽ giúp bạn nhận ra lỗi sai và cải thiện nhanh hơn sau mỗi lần luyện. Tuy nhiên, nếu chỉ tự học mà không có phương pháp hoặc người hướng dẫn, bạn rất dễ luyện sai cách và mất nhiều thời gian mà điểm số vẫn không cải thiện đáng kể. Vì vậy, hãy cân nhắc kết hợp luyện đề bài bản với lộ trình phù hợp để đạt kết quả tốt nhất trong kỳ thi VSTEP nhé!